Lost Dreams And Lamentations
by BewilderedFemale
Summary: Sarah has been mourning her decision to refuse Jareth and leave the Labyrinth for years now. Trying to pick up the pieces, she has become an excellent student and is graduating to become a teacher and help children in need, or so she thought.
1. Lost Dreams and Lamentations

**"Lost dreams and Lamentations."**

*_This is my first Labyrinth fan-fic, and I can honestly say that nothing motivated me more than a sincere obsession between David Bowie's-then Hotness and the unmistakle attraction between these two characters as portrayed in the movie._  
_It was genuinely charming, beautiful and so unlike real life. I hope you all enjoy*_

"Sarah, hurry! Your going to be late for your own graduation!"

With great frustration, she was trying to juggle the color combinated chords that are supposed to wrap around her honors student sash. "Damn! forget it!" having thrown the chords around her in a mis-matched manner, she ran out the room, downstairs, and dashed into the Van.

"Sorry, I guess it must be nerves or something but everything seems to be going wrong today."  
Her grandmother reached from behind and grabbed her shoulder, "We are all so very proud of you Sarah, that you've come this far and are graduating from college with honors!" Her grandfather chimed in as well, "Yes, so very proud! Have you finally decided what you are going to do after graduation?"

Sarah's gaze dropped, if she even began to tell them what her thoughts really were they would think she was insane, delusional, for what she really wanted to do was return to that place... Where she had struggled, and fought, and yet made friends a long the way, and even fallen in love. It was only some time after she had returned that she realized the choice that she made, and began to lament over what could have been; A life with Jareth the Goblin King.

Sarah finally looked up and gave the usual answer, "I've had several interviews at a couple of schools who are in need of Teachers, but I haven't had any offers as of yet, the Teaching industry hasn't been easy as of late, but I am determined to keep trying, I have no greater passion than to teach and be with children."

Somewhere between the valedictorian speech, and the Dean talking about how great their lives were gonna be from there on out, Sarah's mind drifted,first she was climbing a disaray of stairs in desperation, her heart beating fast, and thinking:  
"I have to prove that I"m strong!" and then suddenly, she found herself starring into a pair of mis-matched eyes that although seemed intimidating, gave her the feeling as if she were weightless.  
She muttered at the memory;"Damnit, why did I refuse him!"

(Dean steps up to the podium) Congratulations, Graduating Class!  
Sarah threw her cap up into the air and hugged her friends, "finally, life can begin!"

Later that evening...  
After Sarah and her entire family had gone out to dinner to celebrate, she found herself back upstairs in her room from childhood. She had moved into her own place by now but given the rush of the graduation, She had been convinced that staying at her old home for a few days with the family would be better.

There was a familiar pain in her heart but she felt it more keenly being in the same exact room where everything had started.  
As she turned around to begin to undress for the night, the latch on the window gave way and it swung open a long with a strong wind that seemed to moan her name. She simply shook her head, "I must really be delusional!"  
She turned around and headed towards the window to close it.

After changing, she layed down for the night but sleep escaped her. She kept thinking about the adventure from years past, when she danced with Jareth. How he gently held her,How he had looked deep into her eyes, no one has ever looked at her the way that he did, so intensely as if nothing else mattered, only them being together.

She had tried to forget Jareth and had dated a couple of guys in college but they never measured up, and she would feel the pain all over again of not having stayed in the Labyrinth.

Sarah shut her eyes tightly, the pain becoming too much to bear. When she reopened them, tears had begun streaming down her face as she said outloud, "If only I could have a second chance, if only I could see the Goblin King again" She shut her eyes again, allowing the remainder of her tears to spill on her pillow.

Just as sleep was finally starting to tease Sarah, the window latch gave way once more, the wind howling like it had before.

"Just as I was finally starting to fall asleep!" She got up angrily out of bed, but before she could reach the window, she saw a dark shadow from the corner of her eye. She gasped and turned around quickly only to find herself face to face with the Goblin King himself.

She brought her hands up to her mouth to try to lessen how loud she had really gasped in disbelief, all the while her mind racing "This can't be real! This isn't really happening!"

Yet there he stood as tall and handsome as ever. The glow of the moon illuminating his perfect features,his eyes which stared deeply at her as if penetrating her soul made her want to run to him but at the same frightened her.  
How many times she had dreamt of those eyes! Of touching his skin, running her hands through his wonderful lenghthy blonde hair. Not only the physical aspect, but of telling him how wrong she was, and how her decision tormented her soul day after day!

Jareth stepped a bit closer to her, smirking a bit as she remembered he useto,  
"Hello Sarah, I believe you've called me."


	2. The Kings Pride

**Authors Note: **Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews and comments!  
I'm so happy that my madness is to your satisfaction.

This Chapter was inspired by the movie "Pride and Prejudice" (Colin Firth version)  
Anyone who is familiar with that movie or book will notice how two stubborn individuals, despite loving each other, find it hard to back down and swallow their pride, but because of an existing mutual love, other things will happen too.

Oh, and I had left out the disclaimer in the last story about not owning Jim Henson or whatever.. you know what I mean!

**The Kings' Pride**

"I… I …"Sarah rubbed her eyes and looked at him again. He wore similar clothes to that same night; the long tight leathery pants and jacket, there were hues of royal blue and gold intricately designed. It looked expensive and perfectly tailored for his long, strong body. His eyes seemed to glitter in the moonlight, and his hair in crazy blonde spikes, he didn't look like a King, but rather a God.

"Is it really you?"

He chucked at her reaction and in response to her question, he waved his wrist around and produced a crystal.  
She could see herself inside it, crying and wishing for the Goblin King. He had heard her! Seen her! She gasped again in shock and disbelief.  
His expression became serious as he instantly waved the crystal away and placed his hands calmly in front of him.  
"So, what can I do for you Sarah?"

_I didn't think he was really going to show up! All this time! How I have longed for this moment and now that its here, I have no idea what to say to him.. I feel so lightheaded, this is so unreal! I think this was a mistake; the past belongs to the past, it was wrong for me to desire it!_

Sarah sighed loudly and looked down at the floor since she couldn't bring herself to look directly into his eyes.  
"I really didn't think you were going to actually show up, but now that you're here I…"  
She scratched her head fervently not even knowing what she was going to say. She closed her eyes and tried her best to explain.

"I guess what I really wanted was an affirmation that everything had really happened and that for all of these years, I haven't been longing for a dream."  
Jareth's head shot up that moment and he interrupted, ". And what is it exactly that you've been longing for Sarah?"

Sarah looked up at him wide eyed, he had no particular expression on his face and she felt herself becoming frustrated  
at how ambivalent he seemed to be about the whole situation.

_I was going to say 'YOU!' but he seems so indifferent, better not._

She took a deep breath, "I've wanted to know if my friends are ok and that the Underground is still there and intact"

Jareth raised an eyebrow at her response, "Is that all Sarah?" He said coolly with no particular expression on his face.

She didn't answer, she looked down at her feet and tried to hide her increasing frustration, _this wasn't the way I thought he would react at all._

Jareth gave an evil smirk and walked towards her, tall and proud.  
"You will be happy to know that your friends are doing quite well in the outskirts of my Kingdom.  
Despite them having intentionally disobeyed me in lending aid to a runner, I have allowed them to live.

He approached her looking at her deeply. His gorgeousness and deep stare shocked her a bit, _He might  
be a jerk, but he's so incredibly handsome._

He turned around again when he was just inches away from her and spoke with his back to her.

"As for the Underground and its current condition, I don't see how it should even concern you.  
You are an above-grounder and, let's recap, how long has it been since you visited?

Before Sarah could even think of the answer, he said it for her.

"It's been 6 Years, 2 Months, 14 days, 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 15 seconds since you last visited! Why is it that after all that time has passed, you suddenly have so much concern?"

He was not yelling, nor did his facial expression change. It was the way he said that last part that gave it  
away.

_So this is why he has such an attitude, he thinks I didn't care. He's angry and upset even after all this time  
has passed. What a fool, he really didn't know did he?_

"And now that you are informed, (he took out a gold pocket watch from the inside of his jacket)  
I have much to do."

He made a motion to leave, but Sarah's built up frustration and disbelief had gone up to such an extent that she found herself stepping towards him and saying:

"Now wait just a minute! I don't care if you are 'King of the underground'  
Is that really all your going to say to me? You don't know if I have ever thought of the Underground and its inhabitants, you don't know how my life has been forever changed because of all that occurred, and the mistakes I made in the process, who are you to judge?"

Jareth turned to her looking quite seriously and standing proudly with his hands behind his back.

"What would you have me say Sarah? You left, never with a moment's concern and 6 years later,  
all of the sudden you care? Could it be? Or is it possible that moping about in loneliness finally got the  
best of you and you didn't know who else to call!  
He shot his hands up in the air bringing them down slowly over himself in an exaggerated manner as he spoke, "How very gracious of you to choose me! Should I be flattered then? Forget everything and pretend like its all ok?"

_How did he know so much about how life after the Labyrinth was, especially the being lonely part?_

Overcome with disappointment at Jareth and herself, Sarah bent her head down feeling deeply hurt by his words. She never dreamed that having called the Goblin King would lead to this. She was beginning to genuinely regret having wished to see him at all.

Jareth breathed in quickly at her reaction, he could see it all over her face and realized he had gone too far.

She turned her back to him and replied in a soft, teary voice:  
"I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have cost you, believe me when I say that it was not my intention, and I will never again bother you."

Jareth felt is stomach lurch at that moment. Pride had done him in and he felt like he had won the battle but lost the war.  
he sighed loudly, and for the first time since his arrival his voice softened. "I... I.. Shouldn't have said that.. I... don't know what got into me"

There was no response from Sarah.

Jareth started fidgeting with his gloves, he wasn't expecting to react the way he did. He was always in control but this time, everything just sort of spilled out.

He walked up to her, extended his hand to reach for her shoulder but decided it was better not to.  
" If you really and truly so desire, I can arrange for you to be picked up and be given a tour of the Underground and my Castle grounds"

_If only he had said that in beginning instead of biting my head off and making me feel so horrible, I would've said yes in a heartbeat! _

Still with her back to him, she quietly responded, "I think I've taken up enough of your time, Good Night"

Jareth began to open his mouth in protest but he too, bowed his head and without another word, disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared.

Sarah felt him leave and she turned around, he was really gone. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was left with heartache even greater than before he had arrived.

**Stay tuned folks, more to come!**

FF_2361742_


	3. Jareths Thoughts

**Authors Note: **Wow, Thanks for all your comments! Please enjoy the upcoming chapters!

In Chapter 2, "The King's Pride", you will notice that you only saw what Sarah was thinking and not necessarily what Jareths' thoughts were.

This Chapter is dedicated to Jareths' thoughts, and what has occurred since she refused him. It will hopefully allow you to understand why he acted the way he did in Chapter 2.

Enjoy!

"**JARETHS' THOUGHTS"**

Pacing back and forth in his throne room, he thought, and thought, and then thought some more. "Damn it!, All these years! All this time, and look at what I've managed to unfold!"

He threw himself on the throne and shakily fingered his spiked hair.

_My life has been a bitter rage since she left, the only moments that held any significant meaning was when I would occasionally watch her through the crystal. I never meant to pry, but it was the moments where I caught glimpses of her laughing, comforting children, helping others in general that brought any sort of meaning back into my life, but she was mostly alone, just as I am.  
Through her actions and way of life, I could tell that her experience here in my world changed her forever. There were times I wanted to appear and comfort her, but she never called.. She never called for me!_

Despite resenting her not calling me, I'd still watch her, it was the only thing that made me feel real, and now..now after all these years, she finally calls for me and what do I do? Scare her off and ruin any chance of reconciliation! A chance for us both be happy.

Jareth got up from the Throne again and began to pace furiously. It's been 2 days since their encounter, would she still be mad? He didn't have the nerve to check in and see what she was doing but frustration and curiosity was proving to be getting the better of him.

_At the same time though.. I could not allow her to believe that her leaving had no negative effect on me or my Kingdom. How could I allow her to believe that her decision had no effect on me and thus the way my Kingdom is ruled.  
I certainly cannot show submission, especially to a human, and especially since I am king!_

He stopped pacing and sighed _"I would dearly love to know what she is doing right now"_

He spun around suddenly and with a quick whip of his wrist, he had produced a crystal which immediately showed Sarah carrying bags and a suitcase. She was kissing her Grandparents goodbye, probably going back to her own Apartment.

She would be home now, and maybe she would be calm enough to accept a visit of his.  
_Bloody insane, there is no way I could face her after the way I acted. If only she hadn't said that the only reason she had wanted to see me was because she wanted to know about the Undergrounds' inhabitants, he knew that she wanted to see him too, or did she? Why didn't she say it from the start? These human women, never knowing what they want!_

He stood up again, and this time, hands behind his back, he peered out the window on to his kingdom. It was dark, and pitiful looking, a reflection of what he felt on the inside.

Meanwhile in Sarah's apartment, she was putting away some clothes and getting ready to do some laundry. The event from two days ago was still clear in her mind, and she still felt horribly about what had transpired.  
_It's possible that he no longer feels the way he once did all those years ago when he asked me to love him and was actually awaiting a moment where he could finally demonstrate to me that he was over it, but, why did he then change his tone and ask if I wanted to go visit not only his Underground, but his Castle as well! Is that a common invitation?_

Sarah shook her head, _No, him inviting me down was probably just another means of belittling me since it wasn't enough with his words. I think after all of these years, I understand finally that maybe this was the best choice._

Hoggle walks into the Throne room a bit nervous and apprehensive; it had been 6 years since the King had called on him for anything. "Your highness, you've called" He said as he knelt down to one knee.

Jareth looked over at him, "YES! I.. I wish to" He paused for a moment, what was he doing? Was he really going to admit what had occurred to this guy of all people? On the other hand, time was wasting away, and if he waited any longer, Sarah would surely never forgive him. Not to mention he hadn't had a decent night's sleep since their encounter.

He sat down on his throne and sighed loudly, "I wish to speak to you about an occurrence and gather your thoughts on the subject" Hoggle's jaw dropped. Was the same King who banished him to the outskirts of his Kingdom really asking him for advice? What in the world could he possibly need advice on that he would have knowledge of?  
"Uuuu.. of course your highness" 

Jareth got up once again and told him everything, it had been extremely difficult to admit to something so private at first, especially to just a mere servant living on the outskirts but as he continued on, he felt a sense of release, and for the first time, actually felt better than he had in a long time.

"What should I do Hoggle?" Hoggle, who was still in shock remained silent for a moment and in his gruff voice he answered;  
"Sire, its only my thoughts but if you really have waited this long, why didn't you just tell her that you were glad that she had called you? If you wish to speak to her, you should do so, you are the Goblin king sire, you can do anything."  
Jareth scoffed, "It's not that easy Hoggle" Hoggle looked confused, " What is difficult about it? If she says she doesn't wish to come and see us, then you would know that she never really cared and nothing would be lost, and if she does come, treat her like a guest and make her see that she would be foolish to want to be anywhere else but here"

Jareth starred wide eyed at Hoggle, the little snot was actually making sense! Why hadn't he figured this out before?

"Oh, and your highness, when you go to see her again, sometimes, it's nice to present the guest with a gift just as you would do here with those who come from other lands"__

Jareth nodded, "Yes, you are right Hoggle" He stood up and turned towards Hoggle, " I thank you Hoggle for giving me such excellent advice, we shall speak more in the future"

Hoggle feeling quite elated, was turning to leave when Jareth spoke up again, "Oh and Hoggle, You will find that your home is no longer in the outskirts of my kingdom, you shall now reside within Fortress cottages"

Hoggle's eyes shot wide open, "R..rrrreally? Why, thank you your highness!" and he ran towards the exit as fast as his little legs could carry him. Normally, only Noble's and those close to the King lived in that section of the Underground, maybe it was a sign of greater things to come.

After Hoggle left, Jareth called for a servant telepathically, "I wish for you to contact the best Jeweler in the Kingdom and have him make the finest, and most beautiful silver rose necklace he has ever made as quickly as possible."

FF_2361742_


	4. A Date at the Underground

**Authors Note: **As always, Thanks for all your comments!

Mush and Fluff! I had a lot of fun writing this Chapter, and it's probably the longest one so far. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Oh, and by the way! I spent the whole day at a botanical garden doing research on these plants, they really do exist!

Enjoy!

"**A Date at the Underground"**

"Oh my god, what a freakin' nightmare!" Sarah slammed the door shut and dropped her keys and handbag on the floor, still having her back to the apartment.  
_3 interviews in one day, and all of the schools are offering such crummy pay with outrageous hours. What is the education system coming to?_

She took a deep breath and turned on the living room lights. Her eyes shot open while a loud gasp escaped her lips. Everywhere in the apartment, there were flowers and plants of all shapes and sizes, Peace lilies, Torenia blue moon flowers, Brunfelsia grandiflor, Flaming Garden tea roses, bright orange and yellow roses. Some hybrids, some rosaceae, every variety imaginable to man was there in her living room.  
As if in a daze, she cautiously walked from the living room over to her bedroom, and there were flowers there too except that these were all one specific type, and they didn't seem to be in bloom yet, only the buds were visible.

"What in the world.. is.. could it be?" Sarah's mind was racing, her heart was beating so fast, she could feel it in her throat.  
It can't be from.. He was so rude to me, it can't be, but how.. " She scratched her head viciously while her mind seemed to be reeling at 100 miles an hour. Suddenly, something on her vanity caught her eye, it was a cream colored enveloped with "Sarah" written in fine calligraphy.

Sarah starred at the envelope for a few moments as if contemplating whether or not to read it.  
When she finally reached for the letter and began to open it, she realized that the buds in her room were moving. "This is beyond strange" she continued to open the letter and as she did so, the buds began to open again, releasing a wonderful jasmine-like scent.  
The petals were large and white, Sarah recognized them right away, "Heh, moonflowers, but, very few people know that I like moon flowers, this is strange." Turning her attention back to the note that was written in what probably was the most elegant handwriting she had ever seen, it read:

_Dearest Sarah,_

Let us forget our past encounter and please allow me to give you a proper tour of my Kingdom.  
I will allow no refusal on the subject and shall meet you at 7:00pm at the bench near the statue in the park across the street from your home.

Until we meet again,

Jareth

"Who does this guy think he is, 'I will allow no refusal' "She angrily folded her arms in front of her, still holding the letter. "Heck, just for that comment alone, I shouldn't go" She looked around then, at the beauty of all the moon flowers in her room. She closed her eyes and took in their scent, remembering his eyes, and his handsome features. He was whispering to her, "Sarah, my precious"  
She opened her eyes abruptly, well I.. I could use a break, and he is offering me to do what I wanted him to in the first place. She glanced at her watch; it was already 6:40pm.  
"Shoot, I better freshen up if I'm going to meet this guy" 

Jareth was sitting up on a tree branch that overlooked the bench Sarah was supposed to meet him at 5 minutes ago.  
"She's still upset with me, maybe she wont come after all" He was suddenly overcome with feelings of hurt and anger. He pulled out the sparkling silver rose necklace he had planned on giving her later that night and fingered the red ruby that was at the center of the rosebud.  
He thought about the look on her face when he had asked her why she had bothered to call him after all the time that had passed. He hated the fact that he had been the one to bring out that reaction from her, and that was probably why she wasn't going to show up tonight. "Is this really the way it ends my precious?" He put the necklace back in his inside jacket pocket and was about ready to get up when suddenly he heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Sarah had lost track of time between trying to figure out what to wear and fixing her hair. She finally decided on the emerald green dress that looked elegant but was also very comfortable, black flats in case they had to walk, and she had finally decided to style her hair the way she always did, she wasn't about to change her style just for him.

She arrived at the bench and saw that he was not there waiting for her like the note had said he would be. Her heart sank as she vigorously looked around to see if he was anywhere in sight. She looked at her watch, 8 past 7pm. _Jeez, I know I'm late but, couldn't he have waited a few minutes?  
_She sat on the bench placing her handbag on her lap _If he really had wanted to see me, he would have wai…_

"I was beginning to think that you wouldn't come." It was a distinct voice which possessed depth, sensuality, and elegance all at once. Sarah turned quickly to see Jareth standing behind her, he wore tight pants that shimmered in gold, with a jacket to match and inside was offset by a white ruffled poets shirt.  
The colors really brought out his handsome features and Sarah found herself transfixed. She could stand there and stare at him for hours. She caught herself and began to stammer; "I.. I.. you.. the note.. I "

Jareth smirked at her reaction, immensely pleased that he could, after all this time, cause her to be so flustered just from his appearance. He loved every second of it.  
He walked up close to her, and marveled at how splendid she looked. That dress really brought out her eyes, and the night air wisped at her long dark brown hair, exposing her flushed red cheeks, she was so beautiful.

Jareth waved a hand as if to stop her from giving an explanation, "My dear," He lowered his own hand to grab a hold of hers and gently brought it up to his lips. "I hope you are well my dear." Sarah felt like her legs might give way.  
_This guy, I have to be really careful with him."_

"So I'm uh, am really excited to see the underground after all this time" Jareth flinched a bit, her excitement being focused on the underground and not him, but repressing the urge to comment, he simply took a hold of her arm.  
"Then let us not delay another second!" It was like someone had lit sparklers inside of her when he touched her, it just felt so exciting. _Being careful is an understatement with this guy._

He waved his hand and murmured words she did not understand and she suddenly felt like if she were traveling in fast forward. The colors around her seemed to spread in a type of abstract canvas, and suddenly, everything stopped.

They arrived at the entrance of what seemed to be a garden. It was night time in the Underground as well, and the sky was shining brightly with stars. A large white trellis was wrapped with climber roses and the air was thick with its perfume. Sarah closed her eyes momentarily, taking in the rich sweet scent.

"Oh I wanted to thank you for the flowers, they were so beautiful, and about the moon flowers, how did you.. " Jareth smirked, "There is something you should probably come and see" He reached for her hand and led her through a mulch path. There were rows of Nusterums, cosmos, begonias and other annual type plants. They had just passed another trellis that had the climber variety of moon flowers wrapped around it. She gasped as she had never seen such beauty, there were sections upon sections of moonflowers, all in bloom. There was a particular section where there were clusters of them bunched up behind, and at the sides of a bench that over looked a tranquil lake. "It would seem that we both share similar interests in plants and over all.." He looked deep into her eyes then, "over all beautiful things"  
Sarah felt her cheeks burning. She was starring at his lips as he said that last part. He seemed to lean closer to her then, never moving his eyes away from hers.  
_Get a grip Sarah! Remember that you can't trust this guy!_

As if reading her thoughts, he dropped his gaze and led her to the bench overlooking the lake. Just beyond it was the great goblin city which lit up exuberantly in contrast to the night time darkness. "Sarah gasped, everything is so beautiful here!" She listened closely, it sounded like people were playing music. Wooden flutes, stringed instruments, and distinct cheering and clapping were coming from where the lights were. She looked at Jareth, a large smile on her face, "People have fun here!" Jareth couldn't help but laugh at her comment, "Yes well.." He stepped closer to her then and starred deeply into her eyes, "Not everything is gloom and sadness here."

A sly smile came to her lips, it intrigued Jareth to no end and he smiled back in response, "Hmmm, what are you planning?" Sarah laughed and rubbed her head a bit, "Nothing it's just that…" Jareth's interest had peaked, "Yes?"  
"Well" She turned around and looked back across the lake to where all the music and laughter was coming from. "Oh! You want to be part of the underground fun, I should've guessed. Well, we can head over there if you like, they have music, dancing, and food, but I will have to disguise myself as not to cause uproar."

Sarah watched as he made a cloak appear out of no where.  
_Wow, he's gonna go through the trouble of disguising himself for me.  
_As soon and he wrapped the cloak around himself, all the glamour and splendor that is king Jareth disappeared, he looked like a regular commoner.

He took hold of her hand and placed it in his, "Shall we go then?" Suddenly, the blur of colors passed through them again in a fast forward motion. Quickly enough, they were in what seemed to be a small town.  
There was a small stage set up with creatures she had never before seen in her life were playing a fast paced tune that some of the other goblins and creatures were happily dancing to. Torches lit the dance area while the females twirled their skirts and danced in time with the music.

There were also food stalls with what seemed to be tiny birds, and other meats being roasted on an open fire. Pies, and cakes, fruit tarts, breads and all sorts of drinks. Just outside of the stalls were wooden tables and chairs set up.  
Sarah took all of it in, suddenly remembering that she had not eaten since lunch time.

Jareth saw the look of longing on her face, "What would you like my dear, our food is pretty much the same as aboveground."  
"I umm.. I don't know, whatever you get is fine, I'll go grab a seat for us." He nodded and turned towards the food stall. The song had come to an end and the ladies bowed to the partners, everyone clapped and walked off the dance area while another fuzzy-like creature approached the stage. He had what looked to be a guitar with him but it was oval shaped. He took a moment to tune, and began to sing what reminded Sarah of an Irish ballad.

He sang with such passion and depth, Sarah was transfixed. Even though she couldn't understand what he was saying, she could tell that he was signing about something or someone that had broken his heart. She was so moved, tears began running down her cheeks.

Jareth was approaching with their food. He hoped that she liked roast beef and potatoes, they also had his favorite, peach pie, and he wasn't sure if she would like the ale, so he opted for tea instead.  
He looked around to find Sarah seated at a table that was facing the stage, with a smile, he began placing the food in front of her. "My dear, I hope that.." He saw the glimmer of the tears streaming down her face, _what could've happened!  
_  
He knelt down before her, "Sarah, are you hurt? What has happened?" She turned to him a bit shocked at his sudden arrival; she quickly wiped away the tears. "Oh, no, no nothing is wrong, I'm having a wonderful time, its just that.. His song, it really moved me, I've never heard anything like it aboveground."  
Jareth sighed in relief and gave her what probably was the more sincere smile she had ever seen." I thought something might've happened." He turned to see who had been the cause of such emotions, and recognized the singer. "Oh, that's Percy of Alkurtier, he is quite popular; you will probably see more of him during your upcoming visits." Sarah looked up at his remark but only smiled smugly. _He wants me to continue to visit!  
_  
He was sitting across from her now, and produced silverware and, napkins handing her a pair, "There weren't any at the stalls, most beings don't use them here"  
"Thank you your highness, so very kind of you."

"Please, it's Jareth, and it's the least I could do after the way I behaved towards you the other night. I was not behaving as a rational man in those moments"

Sarah didn't know what to say, she wasn't expecting him to have admitted to such a thing. He was the king and didn't have to explain his actions to anyone.

He smiled up at her then, realizing that there were a thousand thoughts running through her mind,  
"Now dig in, the food will get cold." She looked at her food finally and smiled, "Peach pie?"

Jareth laughed playfully, "What is a man to do Sarah, it was the only dessert they had available." Sarah stayed starring at him in disbelief. He looked up again suddenly and couldn't hold in the laughter, "It seems I've been caught"  
Sarah joined in on the laughter, and they began to speak of their lives since the past 6 years.

She told him about having recently graduated from college and her desire to help teach children. She mentioned the difficulty in finding a job and how people didn't seem to value education as much as she would desire.  
_She would be wonderful here in the underground, educators are highly valued. She has so many wonderful qualities, intelligence, beauty, charm; she truly is unlike anyone I have ever known._

He in turn talked about his exhausting duties as King. Having to travel to other lands and work out treaties in order to keep peace, and his anguish over those who obviously had no intention of keeping to it.  
All the while, Sarah realized that not once, did he ever mention of a companion or love. _  
It must get very lonely for him, I don't understand, he's so handsome, and he can be so charming, maybe he's not looking for a wife.._

They had been so involved in conversation that it wasn't until the goblins and other creatures were shutting down the stalls and that those who had been singing and dancing had all gone that they realized it was late.

"Well my Dear, as much as I hate to end this enchanting evening, I believe we should be on our way."

He came over to her and offered his hand; she took it smiling up at him. They walked for a bit until they were out of view and whispering those words she didn't understand, she felt they were traveling again.  
_I don't want it to end, if only this night could last forever_

Her gripped tightened on Jareths' and he smiled confidently. _There will be other visits Sarah, I promise.  
_They were back at the park, as she tried to steady herself; he grabbed her hands, pulling her closer to him.  
"Sarah, I hope this to be the first of many visits to the underground."

"Yes, I hope so too, when will I be able to visit again?."

His heart skipped a beat then, Sarah Williams; the only one who had beaten his Labyrinth and just about broken his heart was asking to visit again. If he hadn't been physically touching her in those moments, he would've thought he was dreaming again.

"All you need is call but, if you'd like a more formal invitation, is, would.. is two days from tonight too soon? He starred deeply into her eyes.  
_Two days? How about two hours from now! _ She repressed the urge to say what she was really thinking and nodded

"Yes, that's perfect"

"We'll meet like we did tonight, if that arrangement is to your pleasing."

"7pm got it!"

"Oh, there is one more thing before we part"

Reaching into his inside jacket pocket he was about to bring out the gift when a sly grin formed on his face.

"What?.. what is it?"

"You have to close your eyes first."

"Oh come on"

"No, no, no, I insist"

Sarah did as she was instructed and Jareth walked behind her. Lifting her long and shiny locks to the side, he placed the silver rose pendant around her neck.

"You can open them now."

Looking down at the pendant her eyes shot open, "Oh Jareth, this is beautiful.. This must be the most beautiful thing I've ever been given, Thank you!" She continued to look at the pendant and then at him. He caressed her cheek softly with his hand.  
"It's the least I could do Sarah." They looked at each other deeply, neither one wanting to leave the other, but Jareth was first in breaking the trance.

"Till we meet again." He squeezed her hand gently and she watched as he uttered those words and vanished into the night. 

FF_2361742_


	5. Doubt

**Authors Note: **Many thanks to the readers and those who leave comments, they are much valued. 

**Enjoy!**

"**Doubt"**

Walking up the steps to his bed chamber, he couldn't help but smile to himself.  
_Sarah had a good time with me. I could see it in her eyes when we said goodbye, she was reluctant to let me leave. Could it be a sign of greater things to come? She never once spoke of love or interests in that regard.  
She could've just been greatful that I had taken the time to show her the underground… It was the main purpose of even calling in the first place._

As doubt began to set in, the contours of his face changed from happiness to that of being worried.  
_No matter, she will be mine, I will make sure of it._

Sarah couldn't go to sleep right away, thoughts of that evening still very present in her mind. The flowers, the wonderful music, and not to mention the look in Jareths eyes before they said goodnight.

_I wonder if he feels the same way as I do, maybe he's just being kind and trying to make up for having been rude.  
What does he have in store for our next outing? Surely he must be interested, otherwise he wouldn't care whether I visit the underground or not.  
Maybe I should tell him that after all these years, I never forgot about him. Never did I regret a decision so much as having turned him down. I didn't understand what it all entailed. I didn't know… What if he thinks I'm insane and doesn't share my sentiments. He is a King and I am.. Nothing.. A strugling college graduate trying to get a job.  
_Doubt was sill clouding her thoughts when she finally drifted off to sleep.

The following day, Sarah had come from yet another interview, this time at a private school. Out of all the places she had interviewed so far, this place seemed to have adequate facilities and an environment she thought she would be able to thrive in. The school was located in town where there were lots of restaurants and shops.

While passing by one, she couldn't help but notice a peacock colored dress hanging from the display window on sale.  
It was beautiful how the fabric shimmered but it wasn't overly formal.  
_That would be the perfect dress for Tomorrow evening._

She smiled playfully to herself as she walked inside the shop.

Jareth sat in his throne room, he faced the window that displayed his whole kingdom and thought of what to do the next time he saw Sarah, when he heard footsteps approaching. A goblin servant came in, "Hoggle is here Sire."

"Your Majesty, I believe you called"

"Yes Hoggle, I did. Since your past suggestions seemed to have a positive effect , I wish to inquire as to where would be a good place to take Sarah the next time she comes to visit."

"That depends on what kind of setting your majesty wishes to have with Sarah."

"Well, she seemed to enjoy listening to Percy of Alkurtier."

Hoggle stumbled a bit, "She.. You took her to town? Did anyone recognize you your highness?"

"No, I disguised myself."

" With all due respect, that could've been dangerous your highness"

"Being there with Sarah was worth it"

Hoggle didn't question him further on the subject, but he thought it extraordinary that the king left the comforts of his castle to go to goblin city, and without any guards as well, he must really like her.

"Why not take her to Alkurtier itself? They have beautiful hills and lakes this time of year"

Jareth got up from his throne and paced back and forth, Hoggle looked up at him anxiously, hoping the suggestion didn't displease him.

"That could be a possibility" He said finally "but I would prefer she come and see it during the day time."

Hoggle looked down at his feet, looking as if something else was on his mind. Jareth noticed it immediately.

"Something on your mind Hoggle?"

Hoggle jerked his head up. "I.. well, I was wondering your highness. When will we get to see Sarah? Not only I, but Ludo, and Sir Didymus would like to see her as well.

Jareth suddenly stopped pacing about the room. Seeing this reaction made Hoggle tremble a bit, but he tried to remain as calm as possible.

Turning his back to him and speaking in a sarcastic manner, "And why Hoggle, why would Sarah want to see any of you?"

Hoggle suddenly found courage again after hearing those words, "Because she's our friend, it's only natural that we would want to see her!"

After a moment, Jareth turned and starred at Hoggle, he didn't look mad but he wasn't smiling either. "I will discuss it with her; you and the others will be notified. Until then, you are free to go." Hoggle bowed and was gone in an instant.

Jareth couldn't help but feel jealousy at Hoggle's initial request to see Sarah. After all the time that had passed, Sarah was finally back in his life and he wanted her all to himself.  
He also knew that if Sarah some how found out that he was keeping them from seeing her, she would be outraged, and the last thing he wanted was to give her reason to not want to see or be with him anymore.

After all was said and done, he really couldn't blame them for wanting to see her.  
She was so beautiful and fun to be around, it's really no wonder how they became so quickly attached to her as they did.

Just then, another Goblin walked in the room, "Sire your fittings for tomorrow have arrived"

"Right! Do have them placed on my wardrobe." He wanted to make sure that he looked perfect for Sarah.

FF_2361742_


	6. Old Friends

**Authors Note: **I have to give a shout out to Condiotti. Throughout our discussions, we agreed that sometimes simple pleasures turn out to be the best, and the most memorable as opposed to extravagant and lucrative occasions that are empty and meaningless.

Keeping that in mind helped me with this Chapter.

**Thanks to everyone for reading.**

"**Old Friends"**

With a spring in her step, Sarah walked hurriedly to her apartment; it was only 6:15pm but she wanted enough time to make sure she looked her best.  
Upon arrival, she quickly drew a bath, pouring ginger-peach infused oil in the running water. It felt nice to just rest and soak up the warm water after a day of fretting over seeing Jareth again.

Why did she care so much? Why was it all she ever thought about?  
She got out and fixed her hair, and put on light makeup. She hardly ever used makeup but she felt this was an occasion to do so. 8 minutes to 7, she finally put the dress on. It was stunning, not only the hues of green and blue in the dress, but it also brought out all the curves in her body.

Carefully, she placed the silver necklace that Jareth had given her around her neck, fastening it in place. She gave herself one final look in the mirror, the necklace seemed to match perfectly with her ensemble. She turned and quickly headed out the door, a huge smile on her face.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jareth was starring at himself through his huge brass framed mirror, fixing the collar on his ruffled white shirt. He had decided on the dark green overcoat that had gold embroidered leaves around the edges of the sleeves and collar.  
His pants were tan and tight fitted, and he chose a pair of brown knee high boots.

His heart pounded nervously in his chest, having anticipated seeing Sarah again since their previous date was becoming unbearable. _How you've turned my world precious_

There was a sudden knock on the door and a goblin servant came in.

"My apologies your highness, but there is a matter of urgency that needs your immediate attention, you are needed in the throne room right away."

Jareth looked over at the clock on the wall of his bed chamber; she would be expecting him in 5 minutes.

"Damn it! Out of all the times this could've happened, it had to be now!"

"I'm sorry sire, they are expecting you." He was turning to leave and Jareth suddenly spoke,

"Wait, before you go; he struggled for some time,  
"Ha.. have Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo go in my stead, and please make sure they understand to tell Sarah that my absence was totally unforeseen and to please accept my sincerest apologies."

"But, sire"

"You have your orders!"

The goblin could see the seriousness and urgency on his face and simply bowed.  
"Yes your highness, at once"

Jareth sighed deeply and closed his eyes once the goblin left. _Oh Sarah, I hope you can forgive me _  
Taking a deep breath, he headed towards the throne room to attend to the matter as quickly as possible.

Sarah sat on the bench, it was 10 past 7:00pm and still no sign of Jareth. _Maybe he's making me wait since I showed up late the last time.. Still, I don't think he would intentionally be this late._

At that moment, she heard rustling coming from the tree behind her. _It's about time he showed up!_

"Jareth?"

A familiar voice answered her, "Not quite M'lady"

Sarah's eyes flew open and she gasped, "Who… who's there?" She got up to further investigate and hiding behind the large tree were Sir Didymus, Ludo, and Hoggle.

"SURPRISE!"

Sarah just about fell back from shock. "You guys! I can't believe it!" They all fell embracing one another.

"I can't tell you how I've missed you all! I'm so happy to see you!"

"We've missed you too Sarah" responded Hoggle

"I hate to break this momentous occasion but I believe we better go back as soon as may be, we do not want to be seen by humans" Sir Didymus said to Hoggle, "Yes about that Sarah, it seems that the King has had an urgent commission to tend to last minute, and he is unsure of how long it will take to resolve, he did however allow us to come in his place."

Sarah felt her heart sink, she really wanted to see Jareth again, but then again she was glad to see her friends after so many years, she tried to hide her disappointment but they were able to see it, they looked at each other as Sarah tried to convince them otherwise, "No really, it's ok, I..I understand that he has many responsibilities."

"You'll see him Sarah" Assured Hoggle, "he was already dressed to go meet you when he was unexpectedly called."

Sarah only nodded, absently fingering the rose pendant.

"Time flies, and the underground awaits! Are we ready?" Sarah stood in front of Hoggle. "Wait! Where are we going?"  
All three looked at each other, "You'll see!" and with a wave of a hand, they were gone.

Jareth finally left the throne room; the king of Troll Valley had been, for some time now, trying to spark a war with Jareth and his kingdom.  
Everytime some miniscule ocurrance took place, he'd come barging in and blow it up to monstrous proportions.  
He never liked Jareth or how he was willing to live amongst goblins when trolls were obviously superior in his mind.

_This fool made me break my meeting up with Sarah.I wonder what... _ He looked up at the clock, it was 10:00pm, last time he brought Sarah home, it was much later then that. "Maybe.."  
A quick turn of his wrist and a small crystal appeared, showing him Sarah instantly.

The crystal showed Sarah and her three friends sitting outside, what looked to be Fortress cottages. Torches were lit around them; there was a basket and plates that held the remains of the food and drink they had consumed.  
_So Sarah and her little friends are having a picnic, something so simple and yet, they seem to be having a good time. I will remember that.  
_  
They were all laughing hysterically. He observed intently, trying to find out what was the cause of such commotion when he realized that Hoggle was wearing a hat with a flaming red hair-piece attached to it.  
"Really Hoggle, I think it becomes you" Sarah mocked as she fixed the hair around his face.  
He noticed that she was wearing the necklace he had given her; he smiled at how well it suited her.

Hoggle wiggled his little arms in protest. "Cut that out! I would never wear such a thing!" His reaction only made everyone laugh harder.  
Jareth had the urge to laugh himself, Hoggle did look quite ridiculous.

Jareth raised an eyebrow as an idea suddenly struck him. He made the crystal disappear and shortly after, vanished himself.

"It's so refreshing to see you in such good spirits M'lady, I was a bit worried earlier from the look of disappointment you held." Hoggle chuckled, "So Sarah, how long have you had a crush on our King? Or could it be a love/hate relationship?"  
Sarah's' eyes shot open and she slowly turned to meet everyone's gaze, "Is it that obvious? " Everyone laughed again. "Well you have only mentioned him about 8, 9.." "Twas 12 in total" interrupted Sir Didymus.  
Sarah felt herself blushing deeply "Ludo, you noticed it too?" He responded with a heavy nod.  
"M'lady, didn't you think ill of him before? What's made you change all of the sudden?"

"Well I did but… I've seen a side of him that I had no idea existed. I admit that I enjoyed spending time with Jareth, and I won't deny that I was looking forward to seeing him again, but… It appears that I won't."

"Sarah how tragic, you make it sound like we'll never see each other again." Sarah spun around quickly and saw Jareth, looking even more handsome than she remembered. "J.. Jareth! I… wait a second, how long were you standing there?" He shot her a sly smile, "My dear, I've only just arrived."  
He began to walk towards her when Hoggle got up, "Weeeeeeell, I think it's about time we call it a night, lot's to do, lot's to do." Sir Didymus chimed in, "Yes! We are sorry to have to go M'lady, I do hope that the pleasure of seeing you will often be repeated." Sarah gave each of them a hug as they bid their farewells. She looked after them as they left thoughtfully.

Turning over to Jareth nervously, she looked up at him quickly but then looked down at her hands, "I'm glad to see you, I .. I" She began to look around nervously, and before she could say anything else, she felt Jareth's gloved hands cupping her face.  
She looked up at him, "Sarah" He almost whispered, and she was lost in those gorgeous mis-matched eyes.  
"Yes Jareth" She replied breathlessly.

"You look breath taking" He smiled at the necklace and back up at her, "I do apologize for being late, I hope that your friends.. " Sarah smiled, "Yes! Oh, thank you so much! It was a wonderful surprise!  
Jareth Smiled, "I knew you would enjoy their company."

"You don't know what it means to me, to be able to see them again, and to be here now with... "She stopped herself, and felt herself blushing deeply. _Oh god, I think I said too much._

Jareth couldn't help but give her a sly smile; he loved the way she looked when she was flustered. He gently took her hands in his, and looked at her seriously.  
"Sarah, I know it's late, but I would like to take you someplace special" He extended his arm to her and almost whispering in her ear, "If you would honor me with your company."

Sarah's heart leapt with joy as she placed her arm around his. The whole entirety of the evening, she thought that she would go without seeing him, and while she was very happy to be once again reunited with her old friends. She could not deny that there was definite excitement and anticipation in seeing him.  
"Of course, but, where are we going?" Jareth smiled, "Sarah, you will find that the underground is full of surprises, such as this one" Before Sarah could even think of a response, they were gone.

**So if you thought the first date was romantic, hold on to your hats kids :o)**

FF_2361742_


	7. Enchantment

**Authors Note: This was probably the toughest chapter to write. I had all kinds of ideas swirling in my head but I didn't know which one I wanted to go with. Taking time with it was worth it in the end and I hope you will enjoy the finished product!**

This is totally random but I went to a concert to see Imogen Heap, look her up online sometime, she looks like the goblin king in female form. Her songs are awesome though and like David Bowie… She's British :o)

**Thanks to everyone for reading.**

"**ENCHANTMENT"**

As Sarah was whirled away yet again, she was aware of Jareth's arm around hers, his touch felt so exciting to her.  
She didn't care where they were going, as long as she was with him, nothing really seemed to matter.  
She could feel that they arrived at their destination. They were just outside his castle; in front of her was a vast lake which had a wooden deck path that reminded her of the board walks you'd see at the beach. The stars that were shining in the skies seemed to illuminate the waters, giving it a mystical glow.  
There were bushes, plants, and flowers of all colors and varieties along the stretch of the lake, including…Moon flowers which were now in bloom and giving off their pleasant jasmine-like fragrance.

"Oh Jareth, It's beautiful here!" With a smile on his face he nodded, "This is part of the castle gardens, no one other than myself is allowed in here, well, until today that is" He smiled at her then, feeling her tremble slightly from holding her arm as they walked. He knew that she enjoyed being with him, before it had been questionable since she had only shown concern for the world she didn't quite understand but was drawn to. Then he had thought that it was for the sake of getting back in touch with her friends, but now he was certain that she was drawn to him too. He had been fascinated by her for years, when she was still too young to understand. Even now she still didn't understand, it was time to let her know.

Still holding her arm, he slowed down his pace a bit and turned to her with a smile, "How have you been enjoying your visits to the underground so far Sarah?"

"It's indescribable, for years I had wondered about this place, thought of this world and that I would never be able to see it again except in dreams. It truly has been incredible."

Jareth took in every word, and thought deeply about how it would be best to direct his questions and anxieties towards her without giving alarm.

"I must know Sarah, If you indeed felt so strongly about the underground, why did you wait this long to call? Was there some circumstance in your life that prevented you from it?"

He was now very intent on hearing her account on the subject. She did not know that he would occasionally observe her, and while he knew that she had been busy with school, and as she had grown older, she had a lot more responsibilities but none that he thought would've prevented her from calling.

She sighed deeply, not really knowing what to say or how to say it.  
_Just tell him the truth, if he still feels the way he did all those years ago, he'll understand._

"Before I wished Toby away, I dreamed of a place like this. I never fit in my world, I've had to work hard and adjust to something I never felt or still even feel a part of." Jareth knew this was true, he had seen how much she struggled, but she was strong and never quit on anything she took up.

She stopped walking, let go of his arm, and turned so that she was facing him.  
"After I had stupidly wished away Toby and you came, you validated something that I thought was just a dream, but it wasn't the dream that I had been envisioning. It was a place of danger and trickery at every turn. I remember there was a moment where I thought that I just didn't belong period. Not up there or down here, and in order to not let that deep despair get a complete hold of me, I concentrated on defeating you."

Jareth's eyes shot open then, he knew she was smart and intelligent, a girl that had been full of will and courage, but he never would have imagined that he had been what drove her all those years ago. He had only meant to give her the adventure that she wanted. The whole time he was trying to cater to her desires, even acting as the villain as part of her fantasy. _Maybe.. if.. If I had acted differently, she might have accepted me._

"Sure I wanted to get my brother back, but in my mind, If I defeated the great goblin king, I could certainly get my life back on track and maybe actually belong somewhere." She looked down at her feet then. "It didn't happen that way though, I had saved my brother, and had actually won, I won! And yet.. I lost too."

She looked up at him, the kind demeanor that he had had before was now a serious look that she couldn't quite read but she kept on anyway. _It's now or never Sarah.  
_"Even though I had won, I found out that I still didn't belong, and not much changed except my constant lamentations; especially in later years. Never knowing if what you had offered before I won Toby back was the truth or a lie.

She leaned closer to him now, looking at his lips and then to his eyes again. He starred back intensely and with a look that Sarah would describe as disbelief.

Almost as if in a whisper she added,

"…Always wondering if the song you sang when we danced in the ballroom was truly sincere or just a trick to distract me from Toby. Wondering if…. If you really meant what you had said that if I feared and loved you, you'd be my slave, or just a desperate last minute attempt to have me fa….." Suddenly, and without warning, Jareth cupped Sarah's face with his gloved hands and kissed her.  
After the initial shock, Sarah responded to his kiss. The intensity of built up emotion over the years overwhelming them both. She felt his hands travel down her back, pulling them closer together.  
She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing their kiss to deepen.  
Sarah had never before felt such passion ignite inside of her, breathlessly; she reluctantly broke away from their kissing and starred deeply into his eyes. The intensity in which he looked back made her blush, and she felt her heart begin to once again beat fiercely against her chest.

"Sarah" He finally said in a thick, passion filled voice. "There were so many things that could have been said and done differently, especially on my part. I have lived in this underground for centuries Sarah, my company is that of Goblins and the moment you came to the underground, everything changed. At the time, I truly believed that taking Toby away and allowing you to live out an adventure you were so passionate about would allow you stay here"… He gently lifted her chin so that he could stare deeply into her eyes "Stay here with me."

Sarah's eyes widened, what did this mean?  
It was as if Jareth knew exactly what she was thinking in those moments and with pain in his voice he looked off into the distance, "It was selfish of me to ask so much of you then, you were still quite young. Nevertheless I grew bitter over the course of the years as you probably noticed after our first encounter…" Before she could respond, he quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him.

"Sarah, my wishes remain unchanged, I don't think I could bear losing you a second time, say you will stay, so that we may live out our dreams together."

Sarah was overcome with such a roller coaster of emotions, but things seemed to be moving faster than she'd have liked. There was still a lot about Jareth she didn't know, but at the same time, she had been dreaming about this moment almost immediately after she had defeated his labyrinth all those years ago.

Looking deeply into his eyes, she cupped his face with her hands, allowing her fingertips to trace along his perfect skin. _Oh god, I love him!_

"Jareth.. I .." She leaned in and gave him quick kisses that built up to deep passionate ones. It was becoming too much for him. Her tongue intertwining with his, his body was aflame and his mind raced with other possibilities and areas he could explore with her, but he was a gentleman, and he would wait.

"Jareth" She gasped, "I want to be with you, more than anything. There is still so much I want to know about you, and where would I fit in once I live down here with you?"

He smiled at her lovingly "My precious, you would be Queen of course, you could do whatever you please, including.. Well, it just so happens that I've been needing someone to teach the children who are wished away. They need someone strong, and with great intelligence and I know of no other person as qualified as you."

He could see from her growing excitement that the idea of helping children who would really need it gave her much pleasure. Even though he had felt a bit of rejection when she still felt she needed to know more about him, he also knew that it was a common mortal custom to court for an extended period of time before permanently living together, or "Marriage" as they so called it.

"As for courting, even though I would be perfectly ready to make you my Queen Tonight, I will respect your wishes in getting to know each other better. My only condition is that we must see each other every day Sarah, and if you cannot come to the underground or I cannot come above to see you, I insist on at least communicating with this;"  
He turned his wrist slightly and produced a crystal pendant which glistened and shined like a diamond. "No matter where I am at, when you call for me, you will be able to see me and I will be able to see you as well."  
Moving behind her, he placed the pendant over the silver rose one he had given her after their first date but the brilliance of the crystal pendant overpowered any gem or precious stone she had ever seen.

He let his fingertips linger over her neck as he adjusted the chain, his soft touch sent shivers down her spine and a soft moan escaped her lips. Jareth trembled at her sounds and turned her around to face him. "Just as I thought, it suits you perfectly." He leaned in and hungrily kissed her. Never had he felt such a surge of love and desire, since his life before held nothing but solitude and constant heartache.  
She placed her hands around his neck again, feeling his soft hair while delving deeply into the kiss.

After several minutes of mutual exchanges of affection, they stayed starring deeply at each other. Neither wanting the night to end, but Jareth knew it was getting late. "My dear, what do you wish to do at this point? Would you like me to escort you back to your home?" It didn't take long for Sarah to think about it, and giving him a sly, mischievous smile;

"I'd love that but let's finish our walk around your beautiful lake first."

_  
_***Sigh* L'amoure Oh, you thought that was it right… not quite, still more to come!**

FF_2361742_


	8. Must Be Dreaming

**Authors Note: Ok, so the question is.. where is this going? I'm building up to it.. I have to confess though, I want Jareth and Sarah to savor all the little moments they never had a chance at, because it is those little moments and times spent together that build for a solid relationship. I think they deserve at least that.. so here we go!**

"**MUST BE DREAMING"**

"Well, this is my home" Sarah said softly, careful not to make noise and wake any of the neighbors, it was 3:00am after all.  
Jareth looked around instantly noticing the plants he had sent her a few days ago. Even though the apartment was small, it was cozy and very unlike the room he remembered 6 years ago. Instead of dolls and stuffed animals, her walls were lined with shelves that were filled with books. The walls were a pale blue and white, with a few vases in a brilliant wine red color tastefully scattered on the shelves and tables.

Jareth turned to where her bedroom was but didn't enter, even though he had seen it countless times through his crystal, it wasn't the same seeing it in person. Sarah blushed at Jareth's curiosity to view her bedroom and nervously led the way.

"It's no grand castle, but since it's just me, I don't need much."  
Jareth eyed her with a sly smile forming on his lips, _Wait till she see's our future bedchamber in the castle, it's probably 8 times bigger than this one room alone.  
_ Her bedroom was tan but she had a large burgundy and gold oriental carpet that really brought the room itself to life, she had a small matching chair on the corner that gave way to a view of the park. He also noted some abstract art hung on the walls. Her whole apartment was very simply furnished but it was tastefully done, she would sure be a huge help where the décor of the castle was concerned. While his goblins had their uses, designing was not one of them. He could probably do it, but just never had the motivation to do so.

"Sarah your home is positively lovely! " He pulled her gently to face him, "Just like its owner" He leaned in for what initially was a peck on the lips but her eyes held such intense desire. He found himself becoming addicted to the feelings she was awakening in him, so much that the small peck became like a raging fire which could only be put out by delving into Sarah.

Jareth's forceful kissing knocked Sarah backwards and they landed on the small bench just in front of her bed. Her heart was beating fiercely in her chest just by looking up at Jareth. He didn't need to say anything; she knew that he loved her. How they both had been able to wait 6 years, she didn't know. She did admit pride was part of the problem; they had both been so stubborn that … "I would've missed out on you" She laughed at that, thinking how foolish all that waiting had been.  
Jareth turned his head slightly and looked at her curiously.

"What amuses you so?"

"I can't believe you're here with me, it seems unreal, like a dream."

He held her close and sighed with contentment. "I was wondering Sarah, there is a place I'd like to take you, I think you'll really like it, but unlike our past encounters in the underground, you will benefit far more if you see it during the daytime."

Sarah's eyes lit up, "Where are we going?" Jareth laughed "No, no, I cannot tell you, it's a surprise love."

Sarah gave him a mischievous smile, "Such a tease." She leaned in, gently brushing her lips against his.  
Jareth tried to suppress a laugh but couldn't, "My dear, this is harder than you think, I'm trying to remain a gentleman."

"Jareth, I'm so glad that you showed up tonight." Sarah rested her head against his chest, breathing in his scent.

"When are we going to this secret place?"

"Whenever you wish my dear, there are a few things I must tend to once I get back, well.. It's almost morning now but, would Tomorrow morning be convenient?"

It didn't take Sarah long to answer, she was so eager to spend time with Jareth that even if she actually were busy, she would've postponed it just to be with him.

"That sounds perfect, is there a certain way I should come dressed?" He momentarily thought about it, a dress would probably be too formal for the occasion.

"I seem to recall a certain style you wore 6 years ago, denim is what you call it? " Sarah laughed  
"Ok, so jeans it is… wait a second, your not going to make me run your Labyrinth again are you?"

Jareth's eyes shot open, not expecting that response from Sarah and he couldn't help but laugh out loud,  
"I assure you not my dear, I think you will thoroughly enjoy yourself, and I will not say another word on the subject, you'll just have to wait until we get there."

Sarah folded her arms in front of her and pouted as if she were a little kid.  
"Fine!"  
Jareth smiled, "There's that fiery spirit I love" Stealing a quick kiss from Sarah he got up from the bench.

"I believe it's time I let you get some rest, I be.. " Before he could finish his sentence, Sarah pulled him down and brought him over to where she had laid down. His eyes wide with shock at Sarah's sudden aggressive behavior.

"That's an excellent idea Jareth, I think we could both use some rest." She wrapped her arms around him so that her body was pressed against his. He hesitated for a brief second, but a smile quickly took place of his shocked expression.  
He brought his hand up and gently caressed the long strands of her silky hair.  
He had expected a possible evening of enchantment, but this? If he wasn't physically touching her, he'd swear he was having another one of his dreams.

He gently kissed her forehead, never having felt so content in his life before.

Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes, a smile still on his face.  
"Good night Sarah, sleep well"

"Good night Jareth" 

FF_2361742_


	9. Pressing Decisions

**Authors Note: As much as I would've enjoyed Jareth and Sarah to have a swimmingly problem-free relationship… Life isn't really like that now is it? **

** Oh, and just throwing it out there, there is no such thing as morning breath in my stories :o)  
**

"**Pressing Decisions"**

There was nothing sweeter than waking up in the arms of Sarah Williams. Watching her softly sleep, the long tresses slightly covering her face, it was a feeling Jareth had never known and now that it was happening, there was no going back, Sarah Williams had to be a part of his life from here on out.

She stirred in her sleep, holding Jareth closer to her and slowly opening her eyes up at him. "Mmmmm, good morning your highness, I hope you slept well."

"Like never before precious." He kissed her forehead and caressed her hair gently.  
They stayed this way for a while, just enjoying being able to hold each other, when suddenly Jareth's stomach began to growl.  
Sarah giggled playfully, "I guess that's my cue to go and make breakfast."

Jareth laughed, "I completely forgot about eating last night after my discussion with the ruler of Troll Valley, all I could think about was having kept you waiting last minute, and hoping you would not be upset."

"Well in that case, not a second must be delayed!" Sarah sat up and was getting ready to head to the kitchen before Jareth grabbed her hand and pulled her back into bed. Facing her, he kissed her deeply for several minutes until he felt other desires stirring within him and broke away to stare longingly in her eyes.

A playful smile formed on her lips, "I think I better start breakfast otherwise we'll be lying here all day long."  
Chuckling softly, Jareth began to sit up, "Precious, you say it like it's a bad thing!"

Sarah blew him a kiss and headed to the kitchen.

Jareth could definitely get use to every morning being like this, why did she feel it necessary to have to court? Why couldn't they just be together now?  
He sighed deeply thinking about what more he could possibly do to convince Sarah that there was no need to wait any longer, 6 years had been enough.

Sarah was happily making breakfast; peach crepes, crisp bacon and a strong cup of breakfast blend tea.  
The aroma made Jareth wander out to the kitchen. Being careful not to alarm Sarah, he placed his hands gently around her waist and kissed her cheek, and rested his head on her shoulder.  
"That smells absolutely incredible!"

"Well it's a good thing that it's ready then!"

They sat in a small nook just outside her kitchen; as soon as Jareth took a bite of his crepe he couldn't help but laugh and give Sarah a sly smile, trying to keep from laughing out loud herself.

"What is it? " She asked, acting as if she didn't know what was going on.

"Hmmm.. peach crepes?"

"What was I to do Jareth, it was all I had lying around?"

Jareth laughed loudly, "That comment sounds oddly familiar"

"I learn from the best" Sarah replied giving Jareth a wink and a smile that made his heart skip a beat.

Jareth couldn't remember the last time that he laughed and smiled so much before. Things were pretty mechanical down in the underground in terms of handling threats of war, and the day to day duties of a king. It felt so refreshing to actually relax with someone and not end up having a heated debate 5 minutes later.

After breakfast, Sarah accompanied Jareth to the park across the street from her home, their hands intertwined with each others as they approached the bench that they had met at only a few days ago.

Jareth turned to Sarah, now grabbing both her hands and looking seriously at her. "Sarah, come back with me, I know I said I would do this courting thing but.. I want to have you with me always, do you not think that we've waited long enough?"  
Sarah couldn't help but feel a pang of dread.

It wasn't that she didn't love Jareth, it was the uncertainty of everything. What if she didn't like being Queen? That was the whole purpose of courting him in the first place, to see how things would play out once they were married.

Jareth had seen the dread in her eyes, and felt his heart sink immediately, he also felt himself becoming angry at the idea of yet another rejection from Sarah. So he reached into his jacket and pulled out his watch pretending to be alarmed by the time.

"Sarah, think about it, I think we both know that we were meant for each. No one else will do for either of us, I know you know this, and there is nothing I won't do to ensure your happiness."

Now walking behind the tree so as not to be seen, he blew a kiss at Sarah. "Until Tomorrow" Before he vanished, Sarah blew back a kiss at him.

He was right and she knew it, she knew there was no one else for her, and she was angry at herself for having that doubt within her. Why couldn't she just accept what he was offering her?

She had always been that way since she could remember, it was what saved Toby all those years ago when she ran the Labyrinth, but now it could endanger her happiness.  
Maybe in matters of love, things didn't have to make sense; he was ensuring her a secure home and life, not to mention that she would be close to her friends.

If she had learned anything from life, it was that nothing is ever promised or secure, sometimes it was worth taking a risk for the things you cared about, especially for the things you loved.

In the throne room, Jareth sat thinking deeply about the occurrences in the past couple of days. Did she not love him? He certainly loved her. How could he let her know though? Jareth had never in his long existence told anyone that he loved them, and he's never had a reason to.  
He still couldn't understand why she just didn't accept what he was offering, any other mortal would've taken the offer running, but that was exactly it.  
Sarah Williams was not a woman to take something simply for the sake of having it. She was a woman of deep feelings and emotions, and they needed to be present before she took anything on.

_I simply will have to continue to demonstrate how happy she'd be living here with me in the underground!  
_With, that Jareth called on his goblins and assistants to see about the plans for the following morning.

__Back at Sarah's apartment, her phone was flashing red with a new message. It was probably her father or her grandparents wanting to know how she was getting along. She pressed the play button and turned to clean up the dishes where she and Jareth had eaten breakfast.

"Miss Williams, this is the Stratford private learning institution for boys and girls in town; I'm calling to let you know that we would be happy to have you as one of the instructors here. Please call me back so we can have you start as soon as possible."

Sarah stood in shock, One of the school's had actually called her back! And what's more, it was one of the schools that she had liked the best out of the entire one's she had interviewed at.  
What would she do? And more importantly, if she accepted the offer, she knew that Jareth wouldn't be pleased at all since he had already offered her a chance to teach the children that were wished away.

Before making any kind of decision, she knew there was something she needed to do. It was a decision she knew she couldn't take lightly, her very future was dependent on it.

She left the dishes on the sink and walked into her bedroom where the mirror was; "Hoggle, it's Sarah, I need to speak to you please!"

FF_2361742_


	10. Unexpected Events

**Authors Note: Wow, lots of reviews and ideas, I love it! Thanks so much!**

"**UNEXPECTED EVENTS"**

After a few moments, nothing happened, and Sarah began to wonder if maybe Hoggle was busy or unavailable when suddenly there was a response. "Sarah? Is that you?" Hoggle? Yes! It's me!" She wiped her face and realized that she had been crying. She really loved this guy! She wiped quick hoping that Hoggle didn't notice.

"Hoggle my dear friend, I am in dire need of your help right now!"  
She began to tell him all that occurred between her and the Goblin King, including the recent phone message and when she was done, she slumped back on her vanity chair, exhausted from everything that was happening.

"What should I do?"

"Wow Sarah, I don't know how to say this, but, I think you already know what it is you need to do. I don't understand it, both of you knows what you've got to do, It's as clear as day to me, and yet both of you seem so oblivious to the answer that is clearly in front of you!"

Sarah leaned forward with a look of interest, "Both of us? What do you mean Hoggle?"

"A few days ago, the king had asked me the same thing your asking me now, 'what should I do?' and I'll tell you the same thing I told him, just tell him what your feeling, and if he cares about you, which you already know that he does, he will understand."

"Wait a second Hoggle, are you telling me the Jareth came to you to talk about me? You mean he actually asked you for advice?"

"Yes, yes he did Sarah. Even I can see how strongly he feels about you, and I think you feel the same way too, so why do you continue to torture yourself?"

"Yes, I care about him Hoggle, but how do I know I'll be happy as Queen of the underground? What if I...  
Hoggle, I have never been happy anywhere. I'm just worried that if I say yes, and I go down and become Queen, and.. what if I'm horrible because I wont belong there either, and not to mention that I probably wont ever be able to leave. I don't know that I could handle it. I don't know that I could handle hurting Jareth again either."

"Sarah, I can't make the decision for you, but it's not as bad down here as you think, and I thought that with the visits you've had the past couple of days you would've realized that by now."

Sarah started to respond but she held back and simply hung her head in front of the mirror feeling totally desperate.

Hoggle felt so sorry for her in those moments, he didn't really know what she was going through, but it hurt him to see his friend going through such turmoil.

"Sarah, listen to me. Think back to when you called the king a couple of nights ago, why did you do it?"

Sarah's head shot up. She wiped away the tears again, "because I.. " Hoggle interrupted, "Tell me the real reason, I wont be upset."

"Because I need him Hoggle, I need him in my life. I need you guys too. I can't really explain it Hoggle, I just know that my life will never be the same again, and I could pick up that phone, call back and accept the position. Tell Jareth that I made my choice and that I was going to try to live out my life up here, but if I did that, I would be taking the cowards' way out.  
I know what to expect up here, even though I don't fit in but I know how this world works. I … I don't know how the underground works!"

"Sarah, what are you rumbling on about? You defeated the Labyrinth that the king himself set up! Nobody has done this before or ever has again, don't you understand that? Don't you think that maybe you really do belong in the underground?"

Sarah's eyes shot open, what if Hoggle was right? She was so caught up in the negative out come; she didn't even begin to think about what could be right about it.

"Just remember that we're your friends Sarah and no matter what you decide, we'll stick by you, and if you were to decide to come to the underground, we wouldn't allow you to feel out of place or uncomfortable in any way. I'm positive that King Jareth wouldn't allow you to feel that way either."

She was so glad that she had called on him to help her sort out her conflicted feelings. Everything he had told her was spot on, it was time for her to stop feeling like a victim and start taking actions towards what she really wanted in life.

She rose from her vanity chair, "Thank you Hoggle, I knew I could count on you to help me"

"Of course Sarah, I am your friend, and I will always be there for you."

"I know it and I am so grateful!, now there is something I must do."

Sarah headed out of her bedroom in a hurry and then stopped abruptly. "Wait a second, where am I going? I can communicate with him through…. " She looked down at the crystal pendant Jareth had given her the night before.  
Remembering his words; "No matter where I am at, when you call for me, you will be able to see me and I will be able to see you as well."

"How do I do this? Ummm.. " She undid the pendant and held it out in front of her the same way she had seen Jareth do.

"Jareth? It's Sarah, I wish to speak to you."

The crystal clouded up a bit and then got clear again. Suddenly, Jareth's face appeared. He was smiling and looked like he was carrying something on his shoulder, but she couldn't make out what it was.

"Sarah, lovely to hear from you so soon, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Jareth I really need to speak to you."

Noting the desperation in her voice, his smile faded and a look of concern replaced it.  
"Is something wrong Sarah?"

"No, really, I just need to talk to you."

"I cannot go up to you at the moment, do you mind if I bring you down here?"

"Yes, whatever, I just need to speak with you."

"Alright, Set the pendant on the floor next to you."

She did as instructed and was instantly whisked away from her apartment.

She arrived in what seemed to be a large classroom. She looked down and saw the pendant magically around her neck again. Realizing where she was, she saw that there were children. Human and goblin alike, sitting in wooden desks, scribbling away. She turned around and found Jareth. Realizing what she saw him holding, she saw that it was actually a child, no more than 4 years old crying desperately.

"Shhhhh, now, now, you're a big strong boy, and there is no need to cry."

As if in a trance, Sarah walked over to Jareth. She was overwhelmed at seeing this side of him. So loving and so patient, he would no doubt make an excellent father. The boy was still crying when Sarah walked up and smiled at him.

"Hi, I'm Sarah, what's your name?"

His crying lessened, in between sobs he starred at her for a while, "Jimmy, my name is Jimmy"

"That's such a nice name Jimmy, and why is such a nice little boy like you crying?"

"I don't know he sobbed, I.. I'm scared."

Sarah spoke soothingly to the boy, "what are you scared of Jimmy?"

The boy was still fighting back tears; Sarah's heart ached for him. _Maybe this was how Hoggle felt when I was crying infront of him.  
_  
" I.. I don't know this place.. I just wanna go… I wanna go home!" and again he began to sob.

Sarah eyed Jareth and held out her arms in a "I know how to handle this" manner. Jareth handed him over to her and she cradled him in her arms. He was quite small and very skinny, she wondered if these were one of the kids that were wished away.

" I promise that nothing will harm you Jimmy"  
She faced Jareth looking him straight in the eye, "I think we'll see a lot of each other Jimmy, and I'll make sure that you're safe."  
The boy wrapped his hands around her neck and rested his head against her. He stayed that way until he fell asleep.

Jareth motioned for her to follow him, and he led her to a room across from the one they were at. It was a nursery with small beds and toys. They put him down in one of the smaller beds that had carvings of little elves and fairies playing together. Jareth couldn't help but see how Sarah looked at the boy, he could see her eyes begin to well up, and he motioned for them to leave.

Finally when they were outside, Sarah wiped away her now spilling tears. "Jareth, those kids.. I didn't know."

Jareth not wasting a second pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. "It never gets easier Sarah, but once they see how wonderful it is here, they grow to be happy and live prosperously."

He wiped away the remaining tears on her face and smiled lovingly at her. "I know you expressed a wish for us to talk, but would it be alright if we do that after we tend to the children and they are picked up by their adoptive families?"

"Absolutely, yes of course!"

He led her back into the classroom and Sarah found herself in her element. She began by teaching the children about the basics of contour lines and how they were formed into art. The children had been so impressed by Sarah's technique and they were all asking her questions and showing her the results of what they had learned that day.  
In what seemed like no time at all, Jareth had dismissed the class and they gathered their belongings and left to be picked up by their families.

Sarah sighed in contentment.

"Well my dearest, what do you make of today?"

"Jareth, I need to be a part of this, I insist, will you let me help you?"

He sighed deeply, and quickly embraced her. "Dearest, I never thought I'd hear you say it. Nothing would give me greater joy than you being present in the lives of these kids. Which.. brings me to another point."

"Yes Jareth?"

"Seeing you today with the children, it just.. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to have you here, I don't know what I would do if you were to leave again. I'm so glad that you called when you did because, now you finally see how desperately we are in need of someone with your skill and ability"

Sarah felt herself blushing, his compliments made her feel so special, and it felt good to be needed.

" And now... Since you are officially a teacher here in the underground, it is required that you grace me with your presence at a celebratory dinner, and you might as well stay the night too since we have a scheduled outing in the Morning"

She laughed at his amazing ability to charm her over so easily, how could she resist?

"I would be delighted, I have one condition though."

Jareth raised an eyebrow, obviously intrigued. "And.. that is?"

"That his highness never leave my side through out the course of the evening."

Jareth laughed out loud at her comment, delighted by her unexpected response. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

He offered her his arm and they exited the now empty room.

**Well kids, there's only 2 chapters left; I've had such wonderful experience writing this story though. It really was a pleasure since I got to meet so many wonderful and talented people in the process.  
It's motivated me to plan for future stories! Drop me a line sometime if you have any ideas or comments you'd like to share.**

FF_2361742_


	11. Proper Proposal

**Authors Note: So these last two chapters were a lot harder than I anticipated. Not because the ideas weren't there, I already know how everything will end; it's the organization part that's tricky.  
I hope you all enjoy, these two chapters will be a lot longer than most.**

**There were a few sections of the story where I felt like I should've been sitting on the porch rocking chair sipping some homemade sweet tea :o) **

**Also, I don't care if it seems cheesy but I threw in the "Disney World for adults" thing in there from having had several discussions with Condiotti about how cool Epcot is… it really is, you should go sometime. **

** 1 more chapter left, a nice sweet surprise :o)**

"**PROPER PROPOSAL"**

Jareth wined and dined Sarah that evening. Bringing out the best collection from his cellars; complete with a five course meal that would have any mortal in tears with the fine artistic presentation and phenomenal taste. Even though he had an extremely large dining table that would easily fit 20 people, he formed a small nook on the corner complete with barstools. Very reminiscent of the one Sarah had in her apartment.

Jareth had smiled at her surprised reaction, "I liked the idea, and it's a lot more personal than sitting in a grand table."

Over dinner, they had determined a schedule for the children to follow. Over time, goblins of special talents would also be included in their activities and eventually be teachers as well. It was a good start in terms of getting the children involved in the goblin community.

After dinner, Sarah tried to suppress a yawn but Jareth saw that she was exhausted. So much had happened so fast in the course of just a few days, but despite it all, she was still there in front of him.

"Under other circumstances, I would ask that we take a walk around the lakes, but I know that you are tired and I certainly don't want you falling asleep on me tomorrow. So when you are ready, I shall escort you to the room where you'll be staying, unless of course you prefer to stay in my quarters?"

He gave her a sly smile, which made her blush instantly. She opened her mouth to protest but nothing came out. They had slept in the same bed the night before and it was actually really nice. How long would that go on without anything actually happening though? These thoughts made her blush even more.  
Jareth was deeply amused at watching her battle out her emotions; he hadn't meant to make her so uneasy. As a matter of fact, it was just a simple comment, why would she get so worked over it unless….

"Sarah, it was only a joke; I actually have a couple of things I need to tend to before I turn myself in."

She gave Jareth a nervous smile, "Oh, I knew you were joking! I'm just excessively tired."

"Sounds like you better get some rest then." That playful smile never left his lips; they rose and exited the dining hall.

There was a large staircase that seemed to lead to various parts of the castle. It seemed to Sarah that one could easily get lost; it was a good thing Jareth was leading the way.  
They finally came upon a beautifully carved wooden door, which he opened to reveal a vast space which was very simply furnished with a canopy bed and a vanity.

Sarah noticed right away it definitely could use a woman's touch, but for right now, all she really needed was a place to rest.

"At the end of the room, there is a sliding door. Inside you will find some clothes and other accessories, feel free to pick out any of your liking, and also the door with the gold handle is the bathroom. My room is right across from you,"

He pointed towards the double doors which were also uniquely carved with the exception that his doors looked like brass; it was really the most beautiful craftsmanship she had ever seen. _Hell, if the door is that extravagant, I wonder what the inside looks like.  
_Jareth again was amused by Sarah's reactions to everything tonight; she seemed to be deep in thought all the time.

Clearing his throat and snapping her out of her haze, he stepped closer to Sarah giving her that loving stare that never failed to make her heart skip a beat. "Sleep well precious, I will have someone wake you in the morning."

He held her face in his gloved hands then, as if trying to memorize every line on her face. Sarah closed her eyes as he gently brushed his lips against hers.

It felt so right to Sarah, maybe Hoggle was right, maybe things could be wonderful down here, maybe.. maybe, she could actually for once belong somewhere.

Early that morning, the suns ray's crept through her windows, letting Sarah know that it was time to get up. She sat a while in her bed taking in the new experience of being in a large castle, knowing that the man she loved was somewhere not too far. She felt vastly content as she never had before.

She thought she heard the song of birds so she climbed out of bed and walked over to a glass French door that led to a small terrace. The view was absolutely breath taking. The stone terrace had morning glory vines that had wrapped themselves around the columns. Large blue and white flowers gave off their sweet fragrance. Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _Yes, I could definitely get use to waking up to this every morning._

"Miss Sarah?"

She opened her eyes abruptly, causing her to break away from her trance. She spun around to find a small goblin girl standing at the glass doorway.

"Pardon the intrusion, My names' Mundra. The king sent me to wake you so that you can prepare for the day."

"Yes of course, I was just enjoying a bit of the scenic beauty."

"It is nice out today. It's been like this for the past couple of days. Before, it was always grey and sad looking."

Sarah looked at the small goblin girl sideways, "Really?"

"Yes, it's usually a reflection of how the king is feeling."

Mundra gave her a sweet smile, "Something is sure making him happy!" With that, Mundra went inside, Sarah followed. She remembered Jareth having mentioned something about wearing denim, and went to check the closet.

The "closet" of course was massive, probably the size of her entire apartment put together. With a beautiful floral tapestry chair in the corner and several shelves filled with shoes of every color imaginable. She walked over to where the more casual clothes were and without fail; she found several jeans in a variety of colors and styles to choose from.  
"Can't go wrong with traditional blue" She then walked over to the shirts and picked out a pale yellow long sleeved blouse that had embroidered white flowers at the collar. The sleeves opened up towards the ends, it kind of reminded her of the outfits she'd wear when doing renaissance era plays in school.

It was the shoes that took up a good portion of the time when dressing. Didn't Jareth know it was dangerous to give a woman so many options like that?  
She finally decided on a comfortable beige and gold pair. She had never seen anything like it in the above-ground. It seemed like everything had been tailored to fit the contours of her body.

Mundra returned to the room just as Sarah was finishing up. "The king is waiting for you at the dining hall Miss."

She quickly followed the goblin through the hall and down the steps, her heart beating faster as they reached the double doors that led to where they had dined just yesterday. Slowly opening the doors and peeking in, she saw Jareth sitting at the same spot he had been last night.

Any anxieties quickly lifted at seeing Jareth smiling at her the way only he did. His attire was far less extravagant then what she had been use to, but the tight fitting pants that showed off his toned legs were still present.  
He noticed how she was taking him in from head to foot. He loved it; it made him feel alive after all those years of being emotionally dead.

"My dear, I trust you slept well?"

"Are you kidding? As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light!" She laughed at the memory.

"How about you, did you sleep well?"

Actually, he hardly had slept at all. Anxiety and preparations to make sure the day went absolutely perfect kept him from sleep, but being a fae, he did not show physical signs of sleeplessness as humans did.

"When I finally did sleep, I slept very well thank you." It wasn't a lie, he just left out that "finally did sleep" had only been 4 hours.

"So are you finally going to tell me where we are going?"

"I would rather wait until we get there to tell you, I can promise you that you will not be disappointed, and with that having been said, let us eat so we can be on our way."

Sarah couldn't remember the last time she had been so excited.  
It was like telling a 10 year old, "Get ready, we're going to Disney World!" This moment however, had a much more adult mood to it.

After they were done, Jareth took her by the arm and led her out of the double doors and down the sunlit hallway.  
There were guards holding the doors open, and as they walked past them and out the castle; a large horse and carriage awaited them. Not JUST a carriage, but the most enormous one she had ever seen.

"Jareth! Oh my.. this is beautiful!"

"Precious, this is only the beginning" He whispered in her ear.

"Come; give me your hand so I can help you get on." She did so, her mouth still wide open in shock as she tested the cushiony seats.

Before he got on himself, Jareth walked over to the driver and gave him final instructions. As soon as he got on, they were off.  
Jareth initially sat across from her, watching her close her eyes, a smile forming on her face.

_The sound of the horses hitting the pavement and the sweet air is magnificent._

"Don't fall asleep on me precious, I thought you said you slept well" She abruptly opened her eyes to find him sitting next to her now.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't sleeping though, I was just.. reflecting."

Jareth laughed, "Really? Is that what we're calling it now?"

Sarah looked out the window," How long will it take us to get to our destination?"

"We are only but half an hour away, we could've just transported there like we've done to other places in the past but I thought you might enjoy the scenic route."

She peered up at him, admiring his stare for a moment, "Your kingdom is lovely."

Sarah reached over and took his hand in hers, amazed at how fast she had gotten comfortable around him. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he instinctively placed his chin above her head.  
"As are you my dearest Sarah."  
Wrapping his arms around her, they stayed this way until they finally reached their destination. 

Feeling the carriage come to a complete stop, she moved from Jareth's embrace. "Just a moment precious. " Giving her hand a light squeeze, he left the carriage momentarily and came back holding out his hand to her.

"Welcome to Alkurtier Sarah."  
A loud gasp escaped her mouth. It was undoubtedly the most amazing place she had ever seen.  
Everything looked so cute! The houses were cute, the people and creatures were cute, even the floor was cute, made out of cobblestones.

"Come my dear, there is much I would love for you to see." He held out his arm, which Sarah took with a grand smile on her face. In front of them walked 2 guards and behind them was another, the towns people would sometimes stop to stare or snicker with one another, it was not often the King came into town, especially with a mortal at his side.

There were many shops, but Jareth only stopped at a couple of them which were visibly different than the rest.  
_He must've really done his research! Well, this is part of his kingdom after all; it's his job to know I guess._

A couple of the shops they had stopped at had pictures and other accessories with Percy on them. She remembered him from having heard him sing when she and Jareth had had their first official date. She didn't realize until then exactly how popular he really was. Jareth caught her looking at a couple of ale mugs with his picture on them.  
"Remember me mentioning that he is popular here?"

Sarah was putting the mug back on the shelf, "Yes, I can see that."  
"Just don't go falling in love with him as most women seem too. It's amazing how women will fall for a guy who can play a stringed instrument."

Sarah gave him a sly smile, "Hmm.. I can't imagine why that would happen."

Jareth gave her a quick kiss and they were off to a part of town where there were open area vendors. Sarah spent a lot of time looking over at the odd gadgets and things people deemed as useful. Everything was so new to her still.

Sarah had found a small black music box with a red rose on top, the hinges were in gold and when she opened it, it played the song from… wouldn't you guess, Percy of Alkurtier. It was the same exact song he had sung that night.  
It made Sarah smile instantly at the memory. Jareth saw how happy it made her. He waited for her to walk over to some other item and quickly grabbed it and bought it from the vendor.

The goblin quickly boxed it up for him, and when Sarah turned around to look for him, the goblin was handing him the boxed gift.  
"Oh hey, you found something you like?"

"I certainly did dearest." He preceded to hand Sarah the gift.

She gave him a confused stare, "But... isn't this yours?"  
"It was, but it's yours now, you can open it in the carriage if you like. There's no need for you to carry anything around. One of the guards quickly extended his arms and Sarah handed him the gift.

They had stopped at a couple of places during the course of the day, including a tea shop that offered what was possibly the best tea she ever had. This is considering that Sarah was mostly a coffee person, but Jareth had convinced her that it was excellent, and he had been right.

It was starting to get dark but there was one more thing Jareth needed to do before they headed back to the castle.

"Are you tired Sarah? Do you want to stop and get a bite to eat?"

"I would love that, yes."

He gently intertwined his hands in hers and led her to a small wooden log cabin that had an inviting smokey aroma rising from the chimney. Sarah suddenly realized how hungry she was. Unlike all the other places they had been to during the day. This place was totally empty. The place itself was extremely cozy, with warm lighting and freshly cut flowers everywhere. In the very center was a table set for two.

A middle aged woman emerged from the kitchens; a wide smile on her face. She seemed very friendly to Sarah and she couldn't help but notice that she looked human.

"Your majesty" She said as she bowed. "I'm very glad to see that you and the lady were able to make it, please follow me."

She led them to the table and quickly filled their glasses with wine.

"Dinner will be out in just a few minutes. " She smiled and bowed again before leaving.

Sarah tilted her head to the side and waited for her to be out of earshot.

"Jareth, is she human?"

Jareth laughed "Yes, she is. She was wished away many years ago, and was taken in by a family of cooks. She is the head chef here, and this restaurant is undoubtedly the finest in Alkurtier."

"Really? Well then umm.. " Sarah looked around.

Jareth laughed again, "Where is everyone you ask?"

Sarah looked at Jareth for an answer; he smiled playfully tilting his wine towards him.

"Let's just say that, for this certain occasion, they were willing to oblige me in letting us have the place to ourselves."

He of course wasn't going to mention the generous commission he had given the head chef, nor the other part of the surprise that he was sure she would enjoy and hopefully…  
Two goblins appeared with trays of food then. Placing a tray in front of them, they simultaneously lifted the tops off the trays and were instantly hit the aroma of slowly roasted meat. Sarah breathed in the fragrance of garlic and spices and they both dug in immediately.

After what was probably the best meal Sarah had ever had, she and Jareth talked about the events of the day. Even though they were originally sitting across from each other, Jareth was somehow now sitting right next to her.

"My dear, I do hope you still have room for dessert."

Sarah lightly patted her stomach, "I'm so full Jareth, I don't know.."

Jareth laughed, "Well, if I can't convince you, maybe he can.."

Sarah spun around to see who he was referring to, and to Sarah's extreme shock, Percy of Alkurtier himself was bringing dessert to the table.

Sarah's jaw dropped, words totally and completely escaped her at that moment, but luckily for her she didn't have to say much since after Percy laid down the desserts in front of them, he brought out his oval shaped guitar-looking instrument and began to play.

Sarah sat transfixed at how he sang and played, she couldn't seem to stop smiling, occasionally giggling with delight at Jareth.

After a few songs, he began to play a familiar tune. When Sarah finally realized it was the song that Jareth had sung when in the ballroom, her eyes opened wide with surprise. By this time, Percy had walked over to where Jareth sat accompanying him acoustically.

Jareth looked deeply into Sarah eyes and gently reached for her hand, a tear immediately ran down her cheek when Jareth began to sing:

There's such a sad love  
Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel  
Open and closed within your eyes  
I'll place the sky within your eyes

There's such a fooled heart  
Beating so fast in search of new dreams  
A love that will last within your heart  
I'll place the moon within your heart

As the pain sweeps through  
Makes no sense for you  
Every thrill has gone  
Wasn't too much fun at all  
But I'll be there for you-oo-oo  
As the world falls down  
Falling  
(As the world) Falling down  
Falling in love

I'll paint you mornings of gold  
I'll spin you Valentine evenings  
Though we're strangers till now  
We're choosing the path between the stars  
I'll lay my love between the stars

As the pain sweeps through  
Makes no sense for you  
Every thrill has gone  
Wasn't too much fun at all  
But I'll be there for you-oo-oo  
As the world falls down  
Falling  
(As the world falls)  
Falling  
Falling  
As the world falls down  
Falling  
Falling  
Falling  
Falling in love

"Sarah my precious, I love you, I have always loved you, all these years my darling."

Sarah couldn't respond, she was so incredibly happy, she didn't understand why she was crying so much, she couldn't even speak. All she could do at that moment was nod at what he was saying.

"I would be a fool if I didn't grasp at the chance of making both of us happy not just now, not tomorrow, but forever."

And with that, Jareth got up, never letting go of Sarah's hand, and he knelt down in front of her.

"Loveliest Sarah, say that you will make me the happiest man throughout eternity, consent to be my queen."

Jareth then produced a beautiful diamond ring, which sparkled so brightly she caught herself wincing a bit as he nervously placed it on her finger.

Finally finding her voice again, and trying to hold back the shower of tears, she bent towards him, capturing him in a tight embrace.

"Yes Jareth, I will marry you!"

Jareth captured her lips with his in a searing kiss.

Breathless, Sarah held Jareth's face in her hands, covering him with kisses.

"I.. .. I would be honored to be your queen Jareth."

Jareth smiled lovingly at Sarah. "My darling, you have just made me the happiest man in the world!"

He then picked her up off the chair and spun her around, both laughing, Percy began to strum another tune.

"Care to dance my dear?"

Sarah placed one hand on his shoulder and grabbed his hand with the other.

"I thought you'd never ask."

***Sigh* I'm such a sucker for happy endings, what can I say.**

Hope you all found it worth the wait, the final chapter will be up in about a week or so, I have family visiting so I wont be able to dedicate as much time as I would like… In the meantime, just re-read the story 4 or 5 times, go head, I don't mind :o) 

FF_2361742_


	12. The Wedding

**Authors Note: I admit that the wedding isn't exactly orthodox, but since I've had distant relatives visiting, and thus the stress that goes a long with it was a huge inspiration for how the story plays out. If you all went through the week that I did, you'd appreciate why I made the story the way it is in terms of "family." Still remaining true to the love shared between Sarah and Jareth.**

So… to hell with all the formalities, and let love do what it wants for once!

Also, I give thanks to a co-worker who gave me a few ideas, and even though I didn't really go with his original plan about writing an original song that Jareth sings to Sarah, I went another way by having Sarah and Jareth say sweet poetic proclamations of love through out the chapter.

I hope you all enjoy the final chapter of "Lost Dreams and Lamentations"

  
**"THE WEDDING"**

Sarah ran about the room picking up different colored fabrics like a mad woman before abruptly stopping in front of Sir Didymus, Ludo, and Hoggle.

"Ok guys, which one would you say is better, the white with gold embroidered flowers, or.." She quickly switched fabrics and held it in front of her. "Or the white with beige embroidery."

"They are both beautiful M'lady! No matter what you wear, the king will love it!"

Hoggle yawned nonchalantly at the fabrics she held up. "I still don't know why you feel you need to wear white! Why not wear a forest green dress, that color looks marvelous on you!"

Sarah scratched her hair furiously, "Ummmm you guys, none of those responses really answers my question."

"I'm sorry M'lady, lets see." Sir Didymus walked over to Sarah and held one piece of the fabric against her while she held the other. After backing up several times to observe her carefully in various types of lighting, he gave back the pieces of fabric.

"Even though they're both quite dashing on you M'lady, the one with the gold embroidery does harbor a more elegant contrast."

"THANK YOU!" She hugged sir Didymus tightly.

"Oooo S'alright M'lady, I always try to help a fair maiden in need!"

Sarah stood back looking at all her friends then, a soft smile forming on her face. "Wow, it still seems unreal to me, I'm actually going to marry Jareth, and you guys have been there all along for me, I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me."

Hoggle half grumbled and half laughed, "Sarah, I always knew you and Jareth would end up getting married, actually we all did."

She tilted her head sideways, "Did you all really?"

They nodded in agreement.

"Since when?" She asked folding her arms in front of her.

"Well, it's certainly been no mystery that Jareth always had feelings for you, but from the moment his majesty started planning a private outing with you, we had an idea what his intentions would be. We weren't so sure however that you felt the same way until that one night where you couldn't stop talking about him, we figured it was just a matter of time."

They all nodded again.

"M'lady, I think I speak for all of us when I say, we couldn't be happier for you, and there is no other person in the world who would fit the title of Queen of the underground other than yourself."

"You guys!"

She went over to them in receipt of a huge group hug.

"Right well, there is still much to do!" She grabbed the fabrics and went over to get her fittings done, as well as selected her shoes and accessories, her friends being with her every step of the way.

"Should I use the tiara or the floral head band?" Before her friends could answer, Mundra cleared her throat loudly. Sarah turned around to see the little goblin girl with her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"His highness wishes for you to join him for Dinner"

Sarah looked over at her friends, "Oh what about?" Suddenly another goblin appeared rolling a cart filled with several large covered dishes. Their eyes never leaving the cart until it stopped right in front of them. Hoggle squealed with joy.

Mundra laughed, "I think his highness prefers a private dinner. Come; I will take you to him."

"You guys enjoy your dinner, I'll be back ok?"

"Don't worry about us M'lady, I think we will manage" He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "We will wait here for you."

Sarah arrived at the dining hall, covered dishes already at the table.

Jareth rose as she walked in and extended her arms to him. They embraced for a while, Jareth noting immediately that something was wrong with Sarah.

He looked at her intently; "Are you alright love?"

"Yes of course I just.. " She looked deeply into his eyes then. _ I can be honest with him; I can tell him anything, I'm sure he will understand._

"Preparing for the wedding has been a lot more stressful than I thought, and I'm nervous, and I haven't been able to sleep well and.."  
Jareth took a good look at her as she spoke, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes and her hair was disheveled. She also looked a bit thinner than usual.  
He had offered to have one of the servants plan everything out but she had refused, wanting her most important day not having any sort of interference.

"… and Jareth, how am I going to tell my parents? My family? I don't know that they would understand. I.. " She moved away from him and sat down in her chair, looking down at her hands as she spoke. "A part of me wants them to be there but… a part of me doesn't want them to know at all."  
She shot her head up to look at Jareth, "Am I horrible person for thinking that?"

Jareth grabbed the other chair and sat directly in front of her, taking hold of her hands in his.

"Loveliest Sarah, it's normal for you to feel the way that you do, but you've taken so much upon yourself when we have more than enough servants that could do everything…" Sarah opened her mouth to protest but Jareth smiled and cut in before her; "I know, I know, this is very important to you and you want to make sure that everything is perfect. Really Sarah, don't you think that no matter how we end up planning things, the most important part is that we're together?"

Sarah didn't respond, she thought about his words.

He did have a valid point, and they'd have the rest of their lives to have wonderful moments.

"I understand Jareth, and maybe you're right, but there's still the issue of my family."

Jareth sighed, squeezing her hand lightly. "That is your decision; no one can decide that for you, I can do whatever you want, although I seriously doubt you'd want to have them forget that you ever existed."

She sat there thinking hard about everything and it seemed no matter what she thought a solution would be, another problem would just arise from it. Then there was the issue of food and where everyone would stay, Sarah cringed at the thought. This is considering that they even accepted the invitation, what if they flat out refused, deciding she had lost her mind?

Jareth felt sincere pity at the obvious chaos going on within Sarah, she was trying so hard to try and make everything perfect but, didn't she know that nothing in life was totally perfect?

"My love, why don't we eat something first and try to forget about things for a bit hmm?" He rose to move over to the table next to them when Sarah suddenly stood up, just mere inches from him.  
She gently pulled him towards her, locking him into a tight embrace. She placed her head against his chest, breathing in his scent, closing her eyes in the process so as to concentrate only on him, on the moment of being there and having him all to herself… That's what Sarah really had been wanting all day.

"I love you so much Jareth, you have become a need for me, and no matter what I'm doing, somehow, thoughts of you always manage to creep up. I mean, I never stopped thinking about you after the labyrinth ordeal.  
I remember sometimes, I use to sit and think about what you could possibly be doing, whether you had forgotten about me, sometimes these thoughts would depress me because I couldn't understand what you had offered me then, and something always told me that it couldn't just end that way.  
Jareth, I'm certain now more than ever that I can't live without you."

Jareth sighed deeply at her heart felt words, she had no idea how many days and nights he longed to hold her in this way, but her words then moved him and made him feel if possible, even more love for her.

Jareth leaned in close and gently traced the contours of Sarah's face with his hands.

Sarah loved it when he did that, it made her feel beautiful, his attention solely on her.

After several moments of being lost in each other's eyes, Sarah gently took hold of Jareth's hands.

"Jareth, why don't we get married tonight?"

His eyes shot open in shock, was his Sarah really suggesting they do something totally spontaneous? He had always known Sarah to want to plan every last detail out; it's why she was so stressed out in the first place.

"Ar.. Are you sure?" He finally managed to answer?"

Sarah didn't need to answer, her look said it all.

He blinked hard a few times, still in shock. "I suppose we can love, I have desired to take you as my bride long before, I think you know that, but.. I can't believe I'm saying this; Is this really what you want dearest?" There was an obvious look of concern all over his face.

Sarah wrapped her arms behind his neck, bringing her face inches away from his. "I don't think I've ever been so sure about anything in my life, there are a few things I need to do before though."

Sarah went running into the room where she had left her friends previously, still in the middle of dinner when she announced loudly: "Jareth and I have decided to get married tonight!"

Ludo dropped his spoon while Hoggle's mouth stayed wide open in mid bite. Sir Didymus could only stare in disbelief, but finally managed to be the first to speak.  
"M'lady, what on earth are you talking of?"

Sarah practically glowed as she stood in front of them. "You guys, I refuse to take on any more wedding stress and pressure. I know that you guys have been feeling it too with having to help me throughout the process, but all that matters is that Jareth and I are together, I don't need a huge drama-filled event. As a matter of fact, the more I think about it, the more I come to believe this is the right decision.

Hoggle moved his plate off his lap and got up towards Sarah. "Firstly Sarah, I think I can speak on behalf of everyone here when I say that it's always a pleasure to help you, because you are our friend. Personally though, I can't say that I'm surprised to hear of your decision, a little shocked sure. We were frankly worried about how you have worked yourself into a frenzy over trying to have the perfect wedding, and you're missing what's really important about it."

"Yes M'lady, what would you have us do to help you with the sudden change of plans?" They all huddled around Sarah listening and going over the new set of plans.

Having been informed of the changes, Mundra had quickly attained a sheer white gown with silver floral stitching around the neck and sleeves. It was so simple yet exceedingly elegant, she had liked it even more than the one that she had originally picked out to have made.

Her hair had been pinned at the sides with a matching floral silver clip that was encrusted with diamonds and rubies. (A gift Jareth had picked up for her the day they went to Alkurtier, it also happened to match the floral necklace he had given her on their first date) She wore shimmering silver slippers, to compliment the softness of her gown.

Sarah quickly discovered that underground makeup was much more flattering than anything she had ever used above ground. A mascara type base had been used to bring out her dark and long lashes; giving them a volume she never had. A silver-grey eye shadow which made her beautiful greenish-grey eyes pop was complimented by a pale pink lip gloss, in short; she was stunning, head to foot.

Sarah was waiting just outside of the garden entrance when Hoggle arrived looking beyond dashing in his tan pants and gold coat with tails. He extended to her a bouquet of moon flowers. "You look amazing Sarah I.. " He began to wipe his eyes quickly. "Here, I thought you'd like these."

"Oh Hoggle, thank you! I can't tell you how happy it makes me feel to know that you are here with me in such a joyous occasion!"  
She bent down and gave him a big hug. Hoggle was still sniffling and trying to wipe away his tears. "Ok,ok, let's get this show on the road!"

Music began to play. It was harp accompanied by wooden flute; it was such a romantic tune that suited the mood of the night perfectly.

Sarah began to walk down the floral path that led to the bench that overlooked the goblin city lake Jareth had taken her to see on her first visit to the underground. On the left side stood Ludo, and Hoggle, hands folded neatly in front of them, and on the right hand side stood Jareth who was absolutely gorgeous.  
Without even realizing it, Sarah had done a double take. It was as if he seemed to glow in the moonlight in his tight white trousers, and matching coat with tails. He too had silver stitching at the collar and sleeves. Solid ivory leather boots complimented his ensemble.  
White looked so well on him, she couldn't stop marveling at how handsome he was.

Jareth in turn was beaming; he couldn't seem to stop smiling as Sarah slowly approached him. All of those years where he only dreamed of this moment and now, it wasn't a dream anymore, it had finally become a reality.

_Don't cry Sarah, this is the happiest day of your life! DON"T! CRY_!

She kept telling herself but never the less, she felt the tears dripping down the sides of her face. She couldn't remember when she was as happy as she was right at this moment.  
Flashbacks started to engulf her like waves. The first time she saw Jareth, entering the labyrinth, meeting Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. Finally the memory of Jareth extending her dreams, she had refused, she had turned him down, and yet there he stood in front of her now, with unmistakable tears forming in his eyes as well.

He gently leaned forward and took her hands in his while she silently mouthed "I love you" to him.

Sir Didymus loudly cleared his throat. "Let us now commence the union of Jareth, king of the Underground, and Lady Sarah Williams."

Sir Didymus had out done himself with the ceremony, but it didn't help matters much with Sarah who by now, had puffed red eyes and had gone through an entire pack of Kleenex.  
Jareth never let go of her hands through out the ceremony. As far as he was concerned, from this moment on, he would never let go; they would be together, forever.

They had exchanged rings and finally sealed the marriage ceremony with a passionate kiss.

All three friends clapped and cheered while throwing moon flower petals at them.

Finally coming up from their kiss, Jareth looking down lovingly at his now wife. "You have just made me the happiest man in the world Sarah, I love you."  
They kissed passionately again, the soft glow of the moon shining down on them as if in approval of their marriage.

Hoggle finally came towards them, "Alright, alright, I think it's time you guys go off and be by yourselves, if you follow me, I've arranged a little surprise for you all."

They followed Hoggle down the garden path and around the corner appeared the same carriage that had taken them to Alkurtier except it was beautifully arranged with flowers. Sarah noticed as the driver got out to open the door for them, that he too was wearing white. She couldn't believe how wonderful everything had turned out despite it being so last minute.

Before getting on, she hugged her friends. "Thank you all so much, for helping make my dreams come true."  
"Go on and have a wonderful time Sarah, we'll be here when you get back!" Hoggle then helped her get on the carriage.

Jareth stretched out his hand towards Ludo, Sir Didymus and Lastly, Hoggle.

"Thank you Hoggle, for everything you've done, and the royal suite at Alkurtier estates is vacant for us, yes?"

"Of course your highness, Mundra let them know as soon as the changes were made, they are expecting you and your bride as we speak. Jareth gave him a wide smile, unable to suppress in happiness at having Sarah referred to as "his bride"

"I thank you all again." Jareth waved before getting into the carriage himself and finally driving off.

Sarah opened her arms wide as he sat next to her, meeting him with a deep and passionate kiss.

After several minutes of mutual exchanges of affection, Jareth whispered softly to her in mid-kiss. "Now we have to plan the coronation ceremony."

Sarah giggled, "The what?"

"The coronation ceremony so that you are properly made Queen of the underground of course! I must tell you though my dear that for this ceremony, we cannot do spare of the moment, since my entire kingdom will have to be present to witness such an important event in our lives as well as theirs."

Sarah was speechless, she knew that marrying Jareth would mean becoming Queen, he had told her so before, but now that it was all actually really happening. It was a rush of emotion that she didn't know exactly how to deal with.

"Jareth, I…"

He looked intensely at her, "You will make a fine Queen, I have faith in you."

Before she could give way to her anxieties, Jareth took her in his arms and passionately began to kiss her again, it melted away all insecurities she suddenly felt. Wrapping her hands around him tightly, she began to kiss him in other areas, and when she reached his neck, he groaned loudly.

"Precious" He whispered, " If we keep going at this rate, I don't think we'll make it to our destination"

Sarah opened her eyes and realized that she had some how managed to move and was sitting on top of him. Arms still wrapped around his neck, she giggled shyly and was moving to get off when Jareth held her tightly in place.

"That doesn't mean you have to stop my love." He chuckled mischievously in her ear as he reached forward and hungrily began kissing her again, his hands gently feeling her face and slowly moving down her body.

Breaking away just enough to look deeply into Sarah's eyes, Jareth whispered in his passion-filled voice:  
"I love you Sarah, my Queen, I vow to always love you, and only you."

"I love you Jareth, I too vow to love you and only you, forever."

FIN

FF_2361742_


End file.
